Tag Archives: caffeine

If you’re a person who is addicted to sugary soft drinks, I hope you don’t live in San Francisco. If you do, you may very well start a riot the next time you try to buy your favorite cola from a vending machine in the city limits. San Francisco’s mayor Gavin Newsom doesn’t feel you need to drink these toxic beverages. Instead, he wants you to choose a healthy alternative such as soy milk. The ban that was put in place in April is now starting to make its presence known throughout the city.

Thanks to @forrestkoba, I happened to read the article about the ban on drinks such as Coke and Pepsi in vending machines located on city property. Don’t worry… you can still purchase them in supermarkets and drink them in the secrecy of your own home. However, if you want to grab a cold can from a vending machine at City Hall, you’re out of luck. You could always “treat” yourself to some Soy milk, though!

All calorically sweetened beverages have been taken out of vending machines on city property. “That includes non-diet sodas, sports drinks and artificially sweetened water. Juice must be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice with no added sweeteners. Diet sodas can be no more than 25 percent of the items offered, the directive says.” There will be a lot of pure juices, waters and non-dairy types of beverages available, though.

The directive also takes aim at snacks which have a high fat or calorie content. “There’s a direct link between what people eat and drink and the obesity and health care crises in this country,” Newsom spokesman Tony Winnicker said. “It’s entirely appropriate and not at all intrusive for city government to take steps to discourage the sale of sugary sodas on city property.”

What are your thoughts? Do you agree that it is “not intrusive” when a city (or other) government steps in and mandates what you can and cannot buy to eat or drink when visiting city-owned properties? Do you feel that they are going a bit too far in exercising their plans to make the city’s residents healthier?

What drink do you enjoy first thing in the morning? Is it coffee? Is it something else caffeinated? Join the club. Well, it’s not an official club or anything – just that there are millions of us who love the wake-up juice.

I recently learned about an easier way to make “French Press” coffee without the French Press. The AeroPress is an entirely new way to make coffee. Lower water temps and faster brewing combine to create rich flavor and lower acidity in your cup. The grounds are completely immersed in water, which is what gives you that bold, rich taste.

I picked up the AeroPress for only about twenty bucks, and have been using it regularly at home. It’s really easy to use: place the paper filter in the little cup and screw it onto the bottom. Add your coffee and water, then stir. Pop in the aero portion and press down gently. It “cleans” the chamber as it forces air down through the chamber.

It takes less than thirty seconds to press the coffee into your cup. Pop the grounds into the trash and rinse the chamber – and you’re finished! You’re left with a “sip-tastic” cup of coffee.

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When doing a Google search for ‘weight loss tips,’ my post on the subject will come up as the first result. One caller the other night asked me to expand on that, and give him an idea of some types of foods I usually eat. When I’m maintaining my weight, I tend to stick to about 2,000 calories a day. Eating healthy is a lifestyle choice for me, one that I am proud of and enjoy.

A few months ago, I was back up to a BMI of 26. When I weighed myself the other day, I was 140.8 pounds which gives me a BMI of 23. That may sound high, but it’s not horrible. It gets away from me every so often. I do have a few ground rules that I follow which keep me (generally) healthy:

As a male who is getting on in years, I have to be conscious of how much fiber is in my daily diet, too. Most breads on store shelves have high-fructose corn syrup in them, though. I’ve found a good brand recently called Dave’s Killer Bread. This guy is an ex-con who spent time in prison for theft and things of that nature. Part of their mission statement reads that they are committed to “bake the highest quality wholegrain and organic bread without compromise.” The bread is healthy, yes. It’s also extremely delicious.

I’m also eating a lot more fruit than I used to. Drinking fruit juice is not the same thing. There’s very little actual fruit in fruit juices, it seems. If you’re going to have fruit, eat the real deal – since your body needs the fiber to go along with the vitamins and minerals that Mother Nature packs into every bite.

I don’t eat “wacky” foodstuffs (as in, foodcrap invented by man). I love peanut butter and toast – nothing wrong with that! If I’m out and about, it’s more difficult to eat well (since I don’t know what’s going inside most served meals). As always, try to be conscious about how many calories you’re taking in – if that’s something you need to be concerned about.

Some people say that as long as you exercise, you don’t have to worry about what you eat. That’s simply not true. If you shovel crap into your mouth all day long, you’ll never be able to exercise enough to keep up. Yes, athletes sure eat a lot – but they also know what to eat, how to eat, and when to eat. More importantly, they burn off what they take in. Are you?

The biggest difficulty that most people have is cutting junk food out of their daily life. Junk food is just that: it’s full of junk. Fast food isn’t much better, on average. Sure, there are “healthy” choices at most fast food joints – but you can do much better for yourself at home. If you’re a soda drinker and you stop drinking it (changing nothing else in your diet), I’ll bet anything you’ll lose five pounds within a month… just from cutting down on the amount of sugar that you’re taking in. It’s even worse to replace that with diet soda – you’re body doesn’t know what to do with artificial sweeteners, yo.

Stop dealing with manufactured and processed foods; put real food in your body, and your body will thank you for it.

So, can you lose weight fast? Yes, but for that to happen, you’d need to be under strict supervision by a medical professional. It’s quite possible to do with a proper combination of variables – but turning to miracle pills and magical diets isn’t likely do bring you anything but disappointment. Then again, the word “fast” is quite relative.

If you want to copy me, don’t. There is no “one size fits all.” You should also understand:

I try to get an ample amount of rest every night (which affects metabolism and recovery time).

I’m currently not trying to maintain weight; my regimen keeps me at about 1,500 calories per day, balanced between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. I’ll be reaching my ideal weight soon, and then it’s back to maintaining it.

I do my best to drink water (especially to counteract how much water I lose with coffee, a diuretic).

Do your own research, set your own (attainable) goals, and then start making changes. Nobody else is going to get healthy for you – it doesn’t work that way.

Everybody has their own morning routine. Mine happens to include making a good cup of coffee. Mind you, there are several ways of crafting what tastes best – since “best” is typically relative. If you drink coffee, I’m wondering how you choose to make it (if you make it at all).

I need caffeine to get me going… in more ways than one. It provides quite a boost of energy, ya know? Okay, so I could down a 2 liter bottle of some random soda, but that’s full of junk. At least coffee and water are natural ingredients, yo!

The Xpress SmartCup Lid is faster and easier than using a normal French Press. It also cleans up in a snap. XPress is comprised of a disposable/recyclable lid, rod and press that will fit most standard 16 & 20oz. hot cups.

French press systems deliver a superior flavor profile, smoothness and finish for both coffee and tea. The XPress lid technology delivers the preferred qualities of the coffee drinking experience to everyday coffee lovers at an affordable price (compared to restaurant French press).

So, French Presses can be messy – and they’re far from portable. What say you to this little piece of coffee tech?

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I don’t drink much soda, to tell the truth. I won’t eat or drink anything that contains trans fats and/or artificial sweeteners. I’ve been this way for about ten years now, and that’s just the way it is. It’s not that I don’t like soda – I just don’t like all of the junk that they are loaded with. When I heard that Pepsi was coming out with a new product called Pepsi Natural… made with natural REAL sugar! I had to try it.

It doesn’t have High Fructose Corn Syrup, so it’s all good! I can give er the old college try! As soon as you uncap it, you definitely get the whole “cola” smell. You know what I’m talking about, right? Colas have a distinct smell. My first taste was – WOW! It’s really sweet tasting. Kudos to Pepsi, for coming up with something this yummy, that has no artificial sweeteners!

Did you know that those crappy artificial sweeteners can actually make you more hungry?! That is in addition to any health risks there may be (I’m not a member of the FDA, so I won’t even begin to go into any of that).

The nicest thing about this is that this is not only the first time I’ve had Pepsi in over a decade – but I’m doing so guilt-free. Yes, there is sugar. But it’s a natural sugar! It tastes great, too!

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Gummi Bears are just plain good. Most kinds of “gummi” candies are yummy. A few years ago, I put a Vader helmet onto a Gummi Bear and took a picture of it. You may not care about Gummi’s, but I bet you would if you knew they could keep you awake. If you aren’t into drinking those sugary drinks that will end up making you crash hard, and just don’t like the taste of other energy drinks… why not check out the new Loud Truck Gummis

The first energy Gummi with Guarana Extract (natural caffeine) & other Vitamins such as B12 & C which are known too stimulate metabolism and increase performance. You’ll enjoy the long lasting, great flavor and the maximum energy boost.

Loud Truck Gummies are produced using some of the best natural ingredients available, including Brazilian Guarana. This native of the Amazon is made from a gum containing the active ingredient, tannin. This astringent agent acts to stimulate your energy, much like caffeine, and is completely safe. Natives of Brazil crush the Guarana seeds and have made an energetic treat from them for centuries. Loud Truck contains Brazilian Grarana because of its natural properties. Natural energy is better for you, AND you experience no crash, like you do with other products. Physical and mental alertness are also energized in Loud Truck Gummies with theophylline and theobromine, the same substances found in cocoa, which are also present in Guarana. An additional benefit is weight loss, achievable using these agents, which serve to increase metabolism and reduce appetite. With Guarana, you may also experience increased alertness and improved athletic performance. It can also help with some forms of headache, especially after ingesting alcohol.

These also have Vitamin B12 in them, which is good for assisting with memory and learning. The Vitamin B2 in it will help with your immune system. Mix these with the Vitamin C in there, and they can help boost your overall health, as well.

The taste of them is actually good. They taste great. You’ll never realize there’s a difference between these and “real” Gummi Bears.

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Remember how much coffee I used to drink? My caffeine stream was polluted with blood for several years. Starbucks coffee is still some of the worst on the planet, but… I love their Peppermint Mochas. Coffee is one of those gifts that keeps on givin' throughout the day. Or, as is the case with the coffee of the month subscription I got for my mom… all year long. International coffee doesn't seem to be any better than “local” blends, but do yourself a favor and try this special mocha. It's worth at least a few sips. Gourmet? You be the bean judge, Roy.